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A teenaged boy stands in front of a display of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous artwork at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Behind the scenes at the Canada Science and Technology Museum

Intern Charlotte Clemens, standing outside the museum in front of the museum sign.

Diving into museum work: The life of a summer intern

Towers of a nitrogen fertilizer production plant stand against a blue, cloudy sky.

From plant to pantry: Tracking pollution in Canada's food production

View of the CP 1201 locomotive in a concrete storage facility.

Railway enthusiasts invited to watch Canadian artifacts take to the tracks

A small badge with the words "Canada Aviation and Space Museum" is framed against the window of the International Space Station, with the Earth in the background.

Museum staff flying high over photo from David Saint-Jacques

Two young girls stand in front of their research display about Elsie MacGill.

International Women in Engineering Day: Remembering Elsie MacGill

A black and white image of Gander Airport.

Stepping inside an artifact: A visit to Gander International Airport

A group of students poses with their winning project in the classroom.

The Spanish Flu: Honouring Canada’s lost voices through digital storytelling

June 6, 1944: Canadian troops come ashore at Juno Beach.

D-Day confidential: How four Canadian soldiers made it through their longest day

An oil pump jack in a grassy field.

A symbol of Canada’s oil economy moves to Ingenium’s Collections Conservation Centre

A pin with the words ‘Science Needs Women’ being held up in front of a Women in STEM Poster of Irene Ayako Uchida.

Wikipedia edit-a-thons give recognition to women in STEM

A black-and-white image of a young boy standing next to his hovercraft.

Writer seeks a lift for his Shropshire hovercraft research

From the Channel

About the Channel

Ingenium Channel is a digital hub featuring curated content related to science, technology and innovation.

One of the wings of the Holste MH-20, or Holste 20, under construction. Anon., “Ceux qui veulent du travail font leurs preuves – Pour la coupe Deutsch un avion construit par des chômeurs prendra le départ.” Ce Soir, 2 August 1939, 1.

A racing airplane made in Paris by unemployed workers

Rénald Fortier

Hello comrade. (Hello, CF!) I invite you today to another journey in time and the wonderful world of aviation and space. Our goal is a dead end at the end of a Paris street that you have never heard of, Angoulême Street. Interestingly, at least for yours truly, the city of Angoulême, in the south of France, had / has among its many attractions the Festival de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême and the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image. I had the great pleasure to visit the museum

A teenaged boy stands in front of a display of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous artwork at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Behind the scenes at the Canada Science and Technology Museum

Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

A junior reporter for Macaroni Kid — an online publication that highlights family events and activities — has been reporting on Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. He recently spoke with museum staff member Carolyn Holland about what went in to making this temporary exhibition a success.

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Collections & Connections

Stories from our collections, about the people we meet and the work we do at our three museums. Hosted by Collections and Research staff at Ingenium, find out about our diverse activities and projects, the exhibitions we work on, and the connections we make across Canada and around the world.

Game screenshot of StarBlox Inc.

Sports & Gaming

Sneak Peek: StarBlox Inc.

Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

A composite image made up of three different pictures.

Earth & Environment

3 things you should know — August edition

Jesse Rogerson, PhD

Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

Meet Renée-Claude Goulet, Jesse Rogerson, and Kyrke Gaudreau. This all-star trio works as Ingenium’s science advisors, providing expert advice on key subjects relating to our three museums — the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. In this new monthly blog series, Ingenium’s science advisors offer up three quirky nuggets related to their area of expertise. For the August edition, they tackled how perspectives are

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Business & Economics

Collection Development

The inside of the metal carrier for the soil test kit, and the label affixed to the lid.

A colourful, family history shines behind a soil test kit

Behind a single artifact, there are many interwoven stories.

The prototype of the Saunders ST-27 commuter airliner in flight, May 1969. Anon., “Air Transport … Light, Commercial & Business.” Flight International, 7 August 1969, 200.

A venture worthy of success, the Saunders ST-27 and ST-28 commuter airliners

Rénald Fortier

Yours truly would like to offer you a small topic this week. Yes, yes, I shall be brief and succinct. Said subject was inspired by a photograph found in the 7 August 1969 issue of the British weekly Flight International – a remarkable publication if there was / is one. Once upon a time, there was a British pilot and aeronautical engineer, now forgotten, who started a very interesting project in the second half of the 1960s. As you can probably guess, my reading friend, this was not the first

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Intern Charlotte Clemens, standing outside the museum in front of the museum sign.

Diving into museum work: The life of a summer intern

Charlotte Clemens

When I arrived in Ottawa about three months ago to work as an exhibition intern with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My short time with the museum turned out to be more interesting and colourful than I ever could have imagined; I’ve conducted damage reports, gone “undercover” for an in-house investigation, and even built an airplane out of a pool noodle! But before I delve into everything, let me tell you the real reason I’m here. This internship has

Unseen and unrecognized: Women’s key role in the history of computer memories

Ghazaleh Jerban

Guest writer, Ingenium-University of Ottawa Fellowship in Gender, Science and Technology.

One of the River Rover prototype shortly before it went to Nepal. Anon., “Technology – River Rover hovers in a tight corner.” New Scientist, 16 November 1978, 80.

Road Transportation

Why didn’t somebody tell me that he had one of those… things? Part 2

Rénald Fortier

Good day to you, my reading friend. Do you remember what the topic of this week’s issue of our blog / bulletin / thingee? One or more hovercraft? Very good. Let us begin. Once upon a time, around 1968-69 to be more precise, the Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a Christian organisation whose main operational centres were / are in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, was active in the Lake Chad area of Africa. The fluctuating water levels of this once huge body of water meant

Towers of a nitrogen fertilizer production plant stand against a blue, cloudy sky.

Earth & Environment

From plant to pantry: Tracking pollution in Canada's food production

When we think about the accomplishments that represent our civilization, does the modern grocery store come to mind? It should. Even the most modest one offers nutritional riches unrivalled in human history. Our ancestors, who for countless millennia hunted and searched to find enough to eat, would be astonished to watch us casually stroll through a place containing aisle after aisle of nutritional possibilities. Yet for us, it is merely routine to select from shelves loaded to capacity with all

Guy Mayer at the controls of his single seat hovercraft, Betton, England. Anon., “À 7 ans, il conduit son aéroglisseur.” Le Petit Journal, 17 August 1969, 22.

Road Transportation

Why didn’t somebody tell me that he had one of those… things? Part 1

Rénald Fortier

How do you do, my reading friend? Well? That is wonderful. Let us channel the spirit of our inner Joker, à la John Joseph “Jack” Nicholson of course, and peer into the history of air cushion vehicles, or hovercraft, and… Fear not, brave heart, we shall dwell upon a teeny weeny episode of that history, unfortunately. The episode that concerns us this week had / has to do with a British gentleman by the name of Peter Mayer. Yours truly wishes I could you provide with some information on the early

1) A futuristic-looking young woman reaches out to touch a glowing blue screen in front of her.

Social Science & Culture

How to Think Like a Futurist

Rachelle Fournier

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

What will life be like in 2050? This was just one of the big questions that Rachelle Fournier, Manager of Exhibition Projects at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, grappled with last month. Fournier took part in an intensive, two-day advanced leadership program in Ottawa called, “Thinking Like a Futurist: Navigating Complex Futures,” led by Dawn Nicholson-O’Brien, an expert on governance and innovation in the digital age. Following the program, Fournier caught up with Dawn Nicholson-O’Brien,

A large white question mark drawn on a black chalkboard.

Social Science & Culture

A museum educator’s plea to visitors: Please ask questions!

Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

I’ve been thinking that the Canada Aviation and Space Museum needs a new sign. Here’s the wording I propose:

The Canadian anti-submarine hydrofoil HMCS Bras d’Or travelling at high speed. Anon., “World’s fastest warship.” The Gazette, 18 July 1969, 13.

Marine Transportation

And now for something completely different: a flying ship from Toronto, Ontario

Rénald Fortier

Oyez, oyez, let it be said everywhere on this Earth that the subject of our blog / bulletin / thingee for this week does not touch upon aviation or space. Yours truly wanted to broaden your horizons, my reading friend. The photograph with which I kickoff said subject comes from The Gazette , a daily newspaper from Montréal, Québec, that I do not consult very often. It comes, say I, from the 18 July 1959, sorry, 1969, issue. The legend of said photograph read as follows: